Descriptions

The atmospheric radiative transfer model MOCARAT was developed and is
presented in this thesis. MOCARAT employs a Monte Carlo Technique for the
accurate modeling of band radiances and reflectances in an atmospheric system
with a ruffled ocean surface as a lower boundary. The atmospheric radiative
transfer is modeled with consideration of molecular Rayleigh scattering, Mie
Scattering and absorption on particulate matter, as well as band absorption by
molecules in the wavelength channels of interest. The bidirectional reflection
of downwelling light at the ocean surface is computed using the empirical relationship
between surface wind field and the slope distribution of wave facets
derived by Cox and Munk (1954a).
A method is proposed to use the oceanic sun glint for remote sensing applications.
The sensitivity of channel correlations to aerosol burden and type as well
as other atmospheric and observational parameters is assessed. Comparisons
of observed correlations with model results are used to check the consistency
of the calibration of the airborne Multichannel Cloud Radiometer (MCR) that
was employed during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX). The MCR calibration
exhibited large variability from flight to flight. The method was applied
to MODIS observations. Unlike the MCR, MODIS was stable where expected,
although numerical values for some of the wavelengths appear to depart from
theory.